Improved machine for treating collodion and its compoun



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4Ulvjrriiio' STATES Panam' OFFIG J. A. MCCLELLAND, OF LOUISVILLE', KENTUCKY.

IMPROVD MACHINEFR TREATING COLLODION AND ITS COMPON Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 90,766,- dated J une 1, 1869.

I 1 '0 all whom. itmy concern:

Be it known that I, J oHN A. MCCLELLAND, of Louisville, in the county of Jet'erson and '.-State of Kentucky, have invented a Machine for Treating Collodion and its Compounds; and I do hereby declare that the following is ha full, clear, and exact description thereof, lret'erece heilig had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specicatioii, in'

lwhich- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section taken in a. vertical plane through the machine. Fig. 2 -ris a section'through the machine, taken in the horizontal plaiieindicated by lineyg,l in Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a cross-section through the machine, taken in the vertical plane indicated by line z'z, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a cross-section take-ii in the vertical plane z" z', Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an end View ot' a perforated rose-nozzle, adapted for delivering the collodion or its compounds in ne streams from the machine.

Similar letters ot' reference indicate corresponding parts in the'several figures.

rlhis invention relates to a new and useful inipi'ovementiii the treatment ot' soluble veg-l etable ber or matter with its solvents, coinbined or uncoiiibiiied with-resins, gums, balsanis, oils, coloring matters, and other substances, for the production et' a homogeneous plastic molding compound, which is adapted for the manufacture ot' usel'ul and ornamental articles, and also for coating or covering various objects.

The object of my invention is to provide l'or excluding air, as far as practicable, t'roiii the mixing chamber or chambers during the process ot' preparing collodioii and its compounds, for the purpose ot' preventing the escape ol the vohitile solvents during the mixing ot' the substances, and also for the further purpose of producing the compound free l'roin air.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand my invention l will describe the best means kiio'wii to nie for cari-vingr it into oll'ect.

In the accompanying drawings, A A1 A'L represent three upright vessels of any suitable capacity, which are preferably made ot' nietnl 0f Cylindrical forni, and with open tops and closed bottoms. These three vesseis are bored out truly and adapted for receiving iii them movable pistons or plungers l5 ll* B2, which may be worked by any suitable moans. In

order to insure the close fitting of the pist in their respective vessels, these pistons i be provided with metallic or other suit: packing Iapplied to their peripheries, as sh( in Fig. l. Each piston is perforated and] vided with a suitable valve or -plug, t'or purpose of excluding air from t-lie chain beneath it; or, instead otusingr a valve or pl means may be provided for pumping out beneath thepistons. The vessels A A* are united by divisions, through which am points near the bottom tliereot'sni'all passa are made for the escape ot the substances ing treated from one chamber into anotl The pertorations or passages b, forini'ng'c( inuiiications between the two 'vessels A n A1, are somewhat larger tlnin those lette o o, which forni communications between vessels-Al and A2.

Thee passages b and o cause the s stances -under treatment in said vessels separate in tine streams while passing l'r one vessel into another, and consequently substances, which aie in a lliiid or semi-ill state, will be intimately mixed. The said p l'orations or reticulations are iliade, as sho in the drawings. so as to present sharp kin edges, which will have the elfe-ct of finely duciiig or eoinininuting any fibrous or so particles in the compound, thereby l'acilit ing the reduction ot' these particles, and p ducing lahoiiiog'reiieous mixture thereot' wl their solvent, and also with other subs-tan which may be used to form the compound.

The perlbrations or retioullntioiis o c a considerably liner thun those lettered b, n are made so for the purpose ol' ell'ccting a inn pertect'division and mixing ot' the snbstanc while being treated in the two v ils AI tlian'is effected between the tivo vessels A .l thereby obtaining a progressive ooniniinutil and mixing ol' the ingredients l'orniing.;- t compound. llie inclined planes cool of, l'orni` upon the inner sides oll thel liollonis ol' the i spectlve mixing-vessels A A A2, aredesgin to, and will, prevent the respective pisto from resting flatly npoii said sides, and \v leave spaces beneath said pistons when thi are down, as shown in the caso ol piston l Fig. 1. 'lhese inclined planes incline towni the passages l'orining eoniiniinical ions betwel the vessels, as shown in Fig. l. llic voss A is provided with a discharge-aperture surrou'nded by a circular screw-nozzle, g, upon which is screwed a cap, C, having a valve or pliig, c, formed on it, that will tightly shut said aperture Vagainst the escape or admission of air. Instead ot' the plug-cap C, a cap, I), (shown in Fig. 5,) may be substituted, which latter is finely perforated at ff, for causing tine compound to issue from vessel Az in fine streams. 1t`desiiable,.a rapidly vibrating or rotating,` knife or knives may be used in combination with the rose nozzle or perforated cap D, when applied to vessel A2, and so arranged that as the attenuated streams ot' the compound issue from the said vessel through said cap, they will he cut into tine grains or particles, and thus prepared for the further treatment, substantially as described in my Letters Patent'of the United States numbered 77,301, and dated on the 28th day of April, A. l). ISGS.

It is obvious that the form ofthe dischargeaperture of vessel vA2 may be made different from that shown, and'so that the compound may be expelled in the form of sheets and bars ot' various sizes; or, if desirable molds of an'y' required pat-tern may be applied to the nozzle or discllarge-aperture of vessel A, for molding' the compound into useful or ornamental shapes as it issues from said vessel. Ihe drawings represent three vessels united and adapted for use in the preparation and treatment of collodion and its compounds; but i'or some purposes two vessels will answer, and for other purposes more than three vessels may be used,\and the compound passed successively from one to another, as it is more or less perfectly reduced and mixed.

The operation ot' the mill or machine is as follows: Got-ton or other vegetable fiber, made soluble. in ether and alcohol by immersing it in nitric and sulpliuric acids` is put into the vessel A beneath the piston B, together with a proper quantity of its solvent. 'Ihe piston 13 is then pressed down as far as it will go, and the valve a in pistonxgpened to allow the expulsion ot' air bencath'ihis piston, when it is forcibly pressed down upon the subst-ance contained in vessel A. After piston B is depressed, and as milch of the air as possible cxpelled from beneath it, the valve a is tightly shut.

Now, by alternately raising and depressint; the piston B Bl, the substances will be forced from one vessel into the otherthrough the lwrforatons I). By thus alternately forcing the substances through the pazforations b their reduction and mixture will be greatly facilitated.

When the substances have been blended and reduced as much as possible in the two vessels A A thc piston l is forced down upstances.

'spect than similar compounds produced under on the bottom of its vessel, and there held by any suitable means, so as to prevent the eutrance ofthe substance' which is then in vessel A1 into vessel A. 'Ihe pistons l5* and 13'J are then worked up and down, and the substance caused to pass back and forth through the pei-felations ce, which, heilig smaller than the pertorations b, will canse a more complete blending or mixing and reduction of the sub- When the process is completed the piston Bl is forced down upon the bottom of vessel A* and held there. The cap C is then removed from the discharge-nozzle, and the substance forced out of the vesselAA2 through this nozzle in the form of sheets, sticks, or tine streams. g In addition to the solvent which is added to the fiber, as above stated, gums, resins, balsams, oils, coloring matters, or other suitable substaiice or substances may be added, which it is required shall enter intothe composition of the plastic mass to be produced. Instead ot' using the pistons as cut-offs for the apertures of one vessel while working' the j mixture in other vessels, valves or slides working air-tight may be adopted.

It will be seen from the above description that I provide for successfully preparing collodion and its compounds in a vacuum, (more or less perfect,) and at the same time effect a thorough reduction and intimate blendingl of the substances used. Consequently, I obtain great economy of volatile solvents used, and produce the compound in question free from air-bubbles, and render it more dense and homogeneous, and better in every other reother processes.

I do not confine my invention to the precise means herein described for preparir. collodiou and its compounds, as other means' equivalent thereto may be adopted for ell'ecting the saine result.

Having described one practical mode of carrying,r my invention into effect, what I claim as new, 'and desire to secure by Letters Patent, s i

1. The preparation of collodion and its courpounds in a vacuum, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. ihe combination ot' mixing-vessels, hav- '1 ing pistons working air-tight therein, with reticulated or iinely-perforated passages,through which the substances, while being,r treated, are compelled to pass, substantially as and for the purposes described. f

J. A.. ltICGIilGhln-XNIL- Witnesses:

.lULius lliusou, E. W. AND1-inscri. 

